Photo of Nomonde Simelane

The return of Babes Wodumo? Gqom queen releases highly anticipated album

12 months By Nomonde Simelane

The highly anticipated return of Babes Wodumo, aka the queen of gqom, is upon us. This is as the Wololo hitmaker finally gives the people what they want in the form of her new album titled Mabheshingo.

Before South Africa had the likes of Tyla and Uncle Waffles, we had Bongekile Simelane, who through her alias Babes Wodumo became one of Mzansi’s first major superstars to do it big on the international stage. After stepping into the scene with her hit single Wololo, the young star quickly became the face of the gqom sound, which hadn’t gone as mainstream as it is today.

In 2022, her husband and collaborator, Mampintsha, passed away, forcing the songstress to take some time off to grieve. As he had become a significant part of her career and brand, uncertainty of her return plagued the gqom community. On the other hand, some of her fans became extremely hopeful that she would return to her glory days, as they believed that Mampintsha hindered some of her success.

Despite garnering immense success, and even going as far as featuring on the Black Panther Soundtrack album, Babes’ career has been riddled with chaos and controversy.

However, it appears that the impact the gqom queen made on South Africans is quite significant, as despite the controversy and uncertainty surrounding her music and career, the news of her return has caused quite the stir, as fans express their excitement.

Also see: Summer Walker Arrives in Johannesburg for Rocking The Daisies 2025

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